Fire-escape



(No Model.)

S. G. UNDERWOOD, Sr.

FIRE ESGAPE.

No. 360,333. Patented Mar. 29, 1887.

Z1 TJVESSES ,S G Z/ 711671120152 UNTTE STATES ATENT @rrics.

SAMUEL (l. UNDER\VOOD, SR, OF MILTON, KENTUCKY.

Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 3O,333, dated March 29,1587.

Application filed June 3, 1886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. UNDERWOOD, S12, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milton, in the county of Trimble and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a front elevation of this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken on line 00 (c, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan view showingthe bottom of the way or skids and its attachmentS.

This invention relates to improvements in fire escapes, the object being to convey either persons or articles of property rapidly and easily down from the window of a burning building and at the same time move them outward from the wall thereof, in order to prevent injury from flames or products of combustion.

The invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A designates the frame or bed-plate of the device, supported upon wheels,as shown. Near the opposite corners of what in use is the outer end of said frame rise the similar posts, a a, in the tops of which are made the bearings for the rotatory shaft 13, provided with the cranlehandle b.

c c are guide-notches in the outer end of said plate for the lower ends of the inclined adjustable ways 0, which are similar to skids and are preferably of metal. The said ways or bars have 11 p011 their lower parts the adj Listing-holes c, by means of which and pins 0 they can be secured when in position upon the base-plate, the latter having recesses to receive said pins. The upper ends of the ways or bars. 0 are hooked at c", the extremities of said ends being rounded outward to prevent their catching upon any projection of the sill.

0* is a bar connecting the bent ends above their rounded extremities.

D is a shaft, carrying the pulleys (Z d, and

Serial No. 204,041.

(No model.)

journaled in the downwardlybent ends of the bar E, which connects the ways 0 below their hooked ends. A bar, E, immediately above the bar or plate E, and also connecting the ways 0, has rising from its ends the hollow posts F, as shown. The said posts are formed to receive the side arms, 9 g, of a frame, G, which arms are united at their outer ends by a proper bar and have the partially-rotating roller Gjournalcd in them.

H is a cord or wire connecting the ends of the two similar pins h h in the bar 0, as shown.

I is a pulley secured above a window, 2', of the building X. Over the sheave of said pulley passes a flexible wire or chain, J, one end of'which is secured to a pin,j, outstanding from the roller G on the side adj acent to the wall of the building when the device is in p0- sition.

K is a wire rope or chain, also having its upper end secured to the pin j, and passing thence through a staple secured to the side ofthe windowframe. The lower ends of both wire ropes or chains J and K pass through openings Z in the upright L, rising from the bedplate adjacent to the crankshaft, so that they can be operated by a person turning the same.

M is a car traveling on the ways G, and provided on its under surface with the clips or m, that underlie said ways and keep the car in place.

N is a wire rope or chain attached to the lower transverse bar or front beam, m, of the ear and to the crank-shaft B, so that when the said shaft is rotated outward or its upper surface rotated from the building by means of the crank-handle b the car is drawn down on the ways.

0 O are wire ropes or chains with their upper ends secured to the upper edge of the car M, passing thence over the pulleys d d on the shaft D, and having their lower ends secured to the crank-shaft B, so that when the said shaft is rotated inward by means of its crankhandle the car is made to travel up on the ways 0.

The manner of using the. device is as follows: The bed-plate Ais rolled adjacent to the wall of the burning building, the lower end of the wire rope J is attached to the pin j, and the inner end of the ways raised by means of said rope. On account of the position of the pin on the side of the roller G adjacent to the window, the ways stand out therefrom, and when they are asufficient distance above the window by easing them down by the wire rope K the bent ends of the ways will enter the window and engage against the sill. In disengaging the device the wire rope J is pulled upon to draw the ways out of the window, and the ways eased down by means of the rope K.

The device can be raised to different stories by means of the holes 0, pins 0 and adjusting-holes in the bed-plate, each window having a pulley, I, and the necessary wire ropes connected therewith. V y

In practice the inclination of the ways would be about forty-five degrees.

Having described this invention, what I claim, and'desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a fire-escape, the combination of the bed frameor plate, the crank-shaft, the inclined adjustable ways or bars 0, the car traveling thereon, the crank-shaft journaled upon uprights rising from the bed-frame, the wire ropes or chains connecting the car to said shaft, the ropes H J K, pinsj and h, and the pulley I, to raise and lower the device to the window of a building, substantially as specified.

the wire ropes N and O O, the ropes H J K,

pins j and h, and the pulley I, to raise the device to and lower it from a window, substantially as specified.

3. I11 a fire-escape, the combination, with the bed-plate A, crank-shaft B, ways G, car M, traveling thereon, and means, substantially as described, to raise and lower said car, of the hollow posts F, secured to the ways near their upper end, the frame G, connected to said posts, the roller G, journaled on said frame, the pulley I, staple K, and wire ropes or chains J and K, all constructed and arranged sub stantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL G. UNDERWOOD, SR.

\Vitnesses:

W. H. CALLIS, W. R. LOGAN. 

